Following the news Krafton was saving Hi-Fi Rush developer Tango Gameworks from being shut down for good, the PUBG publisher has confirmed its plans to “transfer approximately 50 development staff” from the studio to its Japan subsidiary.
This is roughly half the number of the studio’s initial development staff, which was over 100. Gameranx reports this is because others have since found employment elsewhere, and as such there are a number of job openings at the studio.
In an update on social media platform X by Game File’s Stephen Totilo, the reporter shared a statement from Krafton’s PR, which said those 50 staff who are part of the transfer will “continue to work on new projects, including the expansion of the Hi-Fi Rush IP, at Krafton”.
In a separate email shared earlier this week, Totilo said the deal to purchase the Tokyo-based team had been in effect since 1st August, despite it only becoming public knowledge on Monday.
Krafton’s chief financial officer Dongkeun Bae called the deal an “acqui-hire” – a portmanteau of ‘acquisition’ and ‘hiring’ – during an earnings call held this week.
As shared within Totilo’s newsletter, Bae said Krafton “wanted to inherit the entire development team”, and a more traditional acquisition wasn’t possible because Tango Gameworks had been closed down by Microsoft.
Tango Gameworks, which is also known for the likes of the Evil Within series, was founded by Shinji Mikami in 2010. In 2012, Bethesda parent company ZeniMax Media purchased Tango, before it was then itself acquired by Microsoft years later.
Under Microsoft, Tango surprise launched Hi-Fi Rush last year to wide acclaim. Our Ed called it both “vibrant and self-assured” in Eurogamer’s own Hi-Fi Rush review.